2005 Mini Cooper Review

Specifications

Just How Fun Can a Car Get?

Its hard to believe that it was only two years ago that the MINI brand was introduced to North America. Before its launch in 2002, MINI brand awareness was at a mere 2 percent. Now, with its dashing good looks, daring personality, go-kart handling and mirth provoking add campaigns, brand awareness has escalated to between 50 and 80 percent.

And all within the two years of its introduction, MINI has launched multiple products including the Cooper and Cooper S (both in 2002), the John Cooper Works Tuning Kit (2003), which increased the Cooper S horsepower from 163 to 200 and is backed up by a the same new car warranty, and now the Cooper and Cooper S convertible models (2005). The lineup just keeps getting broader and better.

Not only have the British bulldog inspired Coopers marked their territory in the hearts of auto enthusiasts, their aggressive bite has earned them a top spot on the J.D. Power & Associates survey for Appeal.

With all that said, the new 2005 MINI Cooper and Cooper S convertibles are sure to be instant hits the moment they start arriving in dealerships across the nation, especially considering that only the Chrysler PT Cruiser Convertible, Volkswagen New Beetle Cabrio and less functional Mazda Miata directly target MINIs entry level, premium compact convertible market. A recent trip to none other than “MINI”apolis, Minnesota to test out the up-and-coming convertibles reactivated my enthusiasm for the brand, and confirmed my high expectations of the models cheeky performance and cheery personality.

After arriving, unpacking, and eating dinner at a downtown Minneapolis hotel, I headed for bed. But as I was preparing for the exciting day ahead, I noticed flashes of light outside my window. Naturally, I thought someone was taking pictures of something but when I approached the window, I sighed. The flashes of light were none other than Mother Natures own lightening creation, accompanied with the pitter patter of rain. My heart sunk. By the time I was ready to repose, however, I peered out the window only to see the clouds clearing up and the moon beaming overhead. Now, the moon wasnt the only one beaming.

The next day couldnt have turned out any better, unless it was perhaps a little warmer. The sun greeted me and my driving companion on the empty streets of Minneapolis. While a little chilly I looked around for seat warmers, but unfortunately the Cooper Convertible I was testing didnt. Nevertheless, we set off on a MINI drop top adventure.

The first thing I noticed as I pulled onto the highway was the amount of wind that entered the cabin. Even with the heating on high, the cold air still managed to filter through. In addition, I had to talk a little louder when conversing with my copilot because of the wind. Perhaps the amount of air flowing through would have been better tamed with a B pillar stabilizer bar, one similar to the PT Cruiser Convertibles. Originally BMW did think about this idea but opted to make the high strength aluminum, headrest-mounted roll bars behind the rear seats due to the convertibles “Always Open” concept, and to make it as light and sporty as possible. I have to admit it looks a lot better this way, and MINI does provide a rear seat wind deflector for those who really cant stand getting their hair all messed up in the blowing breeze. But lets get real, if you dont like wind then why would you buy a ragtop?

Speaking of looking better, the drop-top MINI has reached yet another level of sporty styling. For the 2005 model year the MINI Convertible comes with a completely redesigned front bumper, front grille and headlights. Both the bumper and grille enhance the signature bulldog look and the headlights add to the practical yet fun feel of the car. The Cooper S also offers some upgrades including new lights and a body-colored grille design.

The MINIs keep getting more attractive on the outside and in. This year the Convertibles come in ten different colors and two new signature BMW colors; Hot Orange (the color of my test Cooper) and Cool Blue (the color of my test Cooper S). There is also the option to literally bring the outside of the car in; the dashboard can be the same color as the exterior. Also, an optional Chrono Gauge package is available for the interior which houses analog readouts for fuel level, coolant temperature, oil pressure and oil temperature. The gauge package is located in the center dash and is designed with contrasting sized and colored gauges reminiscent of a fine chronograph watch. Unfortunately with this option it requires the speedometer to be located adjacent to the tachometer on the steering column, not in its traditional centre console location. Both options came as part of my test Cooper Convertible. Theyre both quirky ideas but nonetheless cool.

Along the highways and byways of foreign-to-me roads, the cool colors of the MINIs did attract some attention. But what really caught mine was the cars handling. It is nothing less than spectacular. In addition to its four-wheel independent suspension (sport tuned in the Cooper S) and already stiff body structure, the floor and side sills are specially reinforced due to their larger and sturdier components, as well as the use of additional B-pillar crossbars and floor pan stiffeners. It is extremely smooth whether driving on the highway of getting lost on County roads somewhere in Wisconsin. What a hoot.

Speaking of County roads in nowheresville, I happened to be clocking a good speed when I caught sight of a turtle in the middle of the road. And being the softy that I am I slammed on the brakes, made a U-turn and went back to save the little critter. And if it wasnt for the turtle I might never have known how stellar the cars four-wheel disc brakes with ABS, electronic brake control and Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD) are. They stopped the car in a flash. In conjunction with a relatively efficient turning radius and an excellent braking system, I was able to save the romping reptile before any other cars came down the road.

Also working in action to stop the car proficiently were a set of optional 195/55R16 run-flat tires with 16-inch 5-spoke “star” design alloy wheels. They not only look awesome but hug the ground in tight turns and during braking.

After rescuing “Sparco” the turtle (yes, I named it), I jumped back into the sweet 5-speed manual ride and took off. Although the Cooper Convertibles engine is not as powerful as the supercharged S, it still has decent get-up-and-go with zero to 60 mph acceleration in 8.8 seconds. The Cooper Convertible sports the same engine as its hardtop sibling; a 1.6-liter, 16-valve, DOHC I-4 producing 115 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 111 lb-ft of torque at 4,500 rpm. New for this year, the Cooper S engine boasts a little more power. Now the supercharged 1.6-liter, 16-valve, DOHC, I-4 produces 168 horsepower (instead of 163 hp) at 6,000 rpm but the torque stays the same at 155. With the engine upgrade its zero to 60 mph acceleration time has changed from 7.1 to 6.9 seconds.

So the MINI Convertibles handle beautifully, incorporate well-endowed engines and are perky and fun, so what could be better? Well, the drop top mechanism is the icing on the already elaborate cake. My beef with most entry level convertibles is the all-too-often need to fuss over unlatching various hinges and putting on tonneau covers (Im not a fan of such cumbersome storage robbing plastic covers). Although the PT Cruiser Convertible and Mazda Miata have very simple and efficient mechanisms for going topless, its the need to snap on that additional cover that ties me in a knot. The Volkswagen New Beetle Cabrios tonneau is absolutely horrible.

The MINI convertible, however, is different. What sets it apart from other entry level drop-toppers is that its top is fully automatic (no latches or tonneau covers needed) and that it comes with a power sunroof integrated into the front half of the top. The sliding sunroof has a 15 ¾ inch overhead opening and is activated by the touch of a button. In addition, it can be operated while the vehicle is in motion up to speeds of 75 mph. The sunroof mimics that of the ones found on hardtop MINIs; theyre large and in charge!

Exposing the inside of the MINI to sunshine takes just over 15 seconds, all with the touch of another button. Powered by an electro-hydraulic system, the tops frame mechanism automatically unlatches and retracts. The four side windows also lower automatically and the soft top folds precisely to the rear. The revolutionary and space efficient “Z”-shaped folding mechanism lets the roof fold compactly behind the rear seats. Heres the real kicker, the front section of the roof provides protection when the soft top is down so no need for a tonneau. Ah, music to my ears.

Whats not so good is visibility out the back. The rear seats and roll bars make it very hard to see out the rear. When the top is up, seeing out the back is even more difficult, with blind spots that are literally blinding to the driver. So to appease the situation MINI has incorporated a standard Park Distance Control (PDC) system onto all MINI Convertibles. The PDC sensors are located in the rear bumper and detect the cars proximity to a foreign object such as a post, building or another car. As the MINI gets closer to the object, the system beeps more rapidly. Its a commendable compromise for poor visibility, and one normally only offered on upscale luxury cars.

But poor rearward visibility aside, its a fantastic car with some fabulous standard features. All Cooper Convertibles come with the fully automatic convertible top featuring the power sliding sunroof, four airbags, four-wheel disc brakes with ABS, CBC, and EBD, electro-hydraulic steering, a tire pressure monitoring system, heated glass rear window, rear seat backrests that fold forward in 50/50 split configuration and lockable in position, AM/FM CD player, park distance control (PDC), central locking with remote control, front and rear power windows, body coloured bumpers and more.

My test Convertibles had the sport package on the Cooper and the premium package on the Cooper S, both priced at $1,350. A Cold Weather package is also available for $300, and would have included those heated seats I was looking for earlier. The sport package includes dynamic stability control (DSC), 16-inch 5-star wheels with performance tires, sport seats and fog lamps, as well as the cockpit Chrono package, and the chrome line exterior. The premium package includes cruise control, multi-function steering wheel, chrome line interior, automatic air conditioning, on board computer and a Harmon/Kardon premium audio system.

I mentioned that the rear seats have a split 50/50 folding capability. Also unique to the MINI convertible is the easy load system. With the top up, its lower edge can be unlatched from inside the cargo area. This allows the rear edge to swing up 35 degrees to increase the size of the rear opening.

Cargo volume is expectedly not abundant, but its useful enough for a weekend getaway. With the top in the up position trunk capacity is 5.8 cubic feet, but even with the top stowed there is still 4.2 cubic feet of luggage space available. If traveling with only two, however, the rear seats can be folded down to increase cargo capacity to 21.3 cubic feet. For a night out with friends, on the other hand, the MINI Convertibles wont disappoint. Although the roofline does sit slightly lower than that of the hardtop, rear seat room is pretty good overall.

Both MINI Convertibles, Cooper and Cooper S, are prime examples of how fun cars can become more fun al fresco. And as I was reminded so often during the trip, this little car isnt just a convertible, its a MINI Convertible. And that puts it in a class thats second to none.